1. “The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” (vs. 7)

2. A third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

3. This could happen via nuclear war, pollution, meteors...

4. But these are clearly God purging the world of sin. This is not simply “nature” taking its course.

B. The second trumpet brings a plague on the sea.

1. “Something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” (vs. 8, 9)

2. A third of the sea is destroyed, hence, a third of the living creatures in the sea died.

3. Here, a literal mass of land, probably a meteor or asteroid, falling into the sea and bringing ecological disaster.

C. The third trumpet brings a plague on fresh waters.

1. “And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.” (vs. 10, 11)

2. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water.

3. Wormwood is a very bitter substance.

D. The fourth trumpet brings a plague on the heavens, and darkness on the earth.

1. “And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.” (vs. 12)

2. This does not describe a one-third lessening of light, but one-third of the day and night are plunged into absolute darkness.

3. These first four trumpets instigate attacks on all the natural means of subsistence: food, water, sources of light, and the regular rhythm of days.

4. Verse 13: And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

5. Now to chapter 9

II. Trumpets Five, and Six:

A. The fifth trumpet brings demonic locusts from the bottomless pit.

1. “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.”

a. They will torment those men who do not have the seal of God on their forehead.

b. Torment will last 5 months, but without death.

c. Men will desire to die, but cannot.

2. “The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.” (Vs. 7-11)

a. We get an unveiling of demonic presence:

i. Body like a horse prepared for battle.ii. Face of man, with a crown like gold.iii. Hair like a woman.iv. Teeth like a lion.v. Breastplate like iron.vi. Wings with sound like chariots with many horses running into battle.vii. Tails like scorpions with stingers.

b. The king of the demonic locusts.

i. Hebrew – Abaddon - destructionii. Greek – Apollyon - tormentiii. This king is the “angel of the bottomless pit.”

3. One Woe has passed, Two more to come.

B. The sixth trumpet brings four angels with an army of destruction.

1. Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. (vs. 13-15)

a. Four evil angels are released.

b. These angels rule a 200-million man army.

2. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. (vs. 16-18)

a. The previous locusts were to torment, but not kill.

b. These angels rule an army of 200-million who are commissioned to kill a third of humanity.